1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a power transmission switching device that switches the transmission and non-transmission of rotational torque from a power shaft rotationally driven by a motor or the like to a driven part using the power shaft as a driving source. Further, the present invention relates to a recording apparatus that is provided with the power transmission switching device.
2. Related Art
An ink jet printer, which is an example of a recording apparatus, will be exemplified below. The ink jet printer includes a plurality of objects to be driven, such as a feeding device that feeds a paper sheet, a roller that transports the paper sheet, a carriage on which a recording head is mounted, and a pump device that sucks ink from the recording head. However, if a dedicated drive motor is provided to each of the objects to be driven, cost is significantly increased. Accordingly, a switching mechanism, which selectively switches the object driven by the motor, is provided in order to drive the plurality of objects by one motor.
The switching mechanism switches the object to be driven by the switching of a gear train, and a carriage disclosed in JP-A-11-227179 or JP-A-2001-162887 is used for the switching of the gear train.
According to the switching mechanism in the related art, if a carriage is moved to the switching mechanism (home area), the switching mechanism is unlocked, so that the switching of the object to be driven can be performed. If the carriage is moved to the switching mechanism returns to a printing area from the switching mechanism (home area) the switching mechanism is locked. Accordingly, a state where power is transmitted to a specific object to be driven is fixed.
Meanwhile, if a rotating shaft of a transport roller transporting a paper sheet is used as a power shaft and power is transmitted to a switching mechanism from the power shaft, power is not transmitted to the objects to be driven (for example, a feeding device and the like) and only the power shaft (transport roller) may be intended to be rotated like, for example, when a paper jam is treated.
However, according to the switching mechanism in the related art, the carriage needs to be always held at the switching mechanism (home area) not to transmit power to the object to be driven. Accordingly, degree of freedom deteriorates in the operation of a carriage.